BillsGuyInMalta Posted April 7, 2006 Posted April 7, 2006 Ralph is explaining the CBA and his problems with it. He seems a lot more "with it" today than he has the last few Press Conferences.
BillsGuyInMalta Posted April 7, 2006 Posted April 7, 2006 Says that the teams who have built the new stadiums who charge very high prices for seats have thrown things out of balance. They have forced their costs down onto the lower market teams.
BillsGuyInMalta Posted April 7, 2006 Posted April 7, 2006 Says the big city clubs have formed a block, and any new extension of the CBA they wanted to go their way. They didnt want to give any of the extra money they got from their new stadiums and their greater population down to the medium sized clubs. Acting in their own interests instead of the best for the NFL, and it damaged the league.
BillsFan Trapped in Pats Land Posted April 7, 2006 Author Posted April 7, 2006 I don't like where this is going.
BillsGuyInMalta Posted April 7, 2006 Posted April 7, 2006 Ralph is really just giving a detailed account of what happened in the last month with the CBA. Says its too expensive to figure. Says the county gives the Bills 3 million bucks a year for the stadium, and the NFL (under the new deal) counted that 3 million as "revenue" even though the Bills never kept the money, they used it to keep the stadium running. The Bills figure that 16 or 18 clubs will qualify for "revenue sharing" in the new CBA. There are qualifiers, if the attendance drops below 80%, then the team doesnt qualify. Says its extremely unbalanced since most teams have to meet these qualifiers while 10 or so hog it all. Meeting with Pataki, he wanted to put his mind at ease. Said he was not going to ask the Governor for money (pretty funny) and explained to him that the Bills were under pressure due to how they voted for the CBA.
Ramius Posted April 7, 2006 Posted April 7, 2006 said he didnt fully understand the new CBA, so wanted to call in the Bills financial advisors. They were given 15 mins to read it over before the vote was called. says the league doesnt even understand everything about the CBA, and that the league isnt sure what the qualifiers for getting shared revenue are.
BillsGuyInMalta Posted April 7, 2006 Posted April 7, 2006 Says the medium and small clubs had two big cities on their side, but they copped out at the final vote and left the smaller markets high and dry. Says a lot of the clubs didnt understand the new CBA, they were trying to get a finance man in to explain things but Tags called for a vote and the teams seemed to vote just to get it done. Says the league doesnt even understand the new CBA and some of the qualifiers arent even known yet. Hope it wont disqualify Buffalo from the revenue sharing, even as unbalanced as it is. This is not a matter of making money for the Buffalo Bills, this is a matter of SURVIVING. A lot of other clubs are in the same boat. Ralph: I'm trying to keep the team here, I have no intention of moving it...how long will it stay here? (which I took meaning after Ralph passes) I dont know. But I can tell you we are going to fight very, very hard to keep the team here and be competitive with the rest of the league.
Ramius Posted April 7, 2006 Posted April 7, 2006 ralph has no ideas of moving the team. Says after him doesnt know how long the bills would survive in buffalo.
BillsGuyInMalta Posted April 7, 2006 Posted April 7, 2006 Pataki said the Bills are too important to the state and Western New York...Pataki said its the only team in the state and he'll express his hope that the Bills will be treated fairly.
Ramius Posted April 7, 2006 Posted April 7, 2006 Ralph is NOT considering selling the team. Says building a new stadium wouldnt make a difference. WNY is poor area, no pricing power.
BillsGuyInMalta Posted April 7, 2006 Posted April 7, 2006 Ralph: "We need people in political power to see that we get a fair treatment under this new extension, which can be opted out in 4 years."
BillsGuyInMalta Posted April 7, 2006 Posted April 7, 2006 Seems to be the big deal is about the qualifiers which Ralph seems to think treats the smaller city clubs unfairly and takes more from them than they should. Says the Bills are just asking to break even.
Ramius Posted April 7, 2006 Posted April 7, 2006 His biggest concern is that the revenue sharing qualifiers are fair, and that the Bills wont be excluded from revenue sharing.
RayFinkle Posted April 7, 2006 Posted April 7, 2006 Wants a fair deal so the Bills will be here 20 years down the line, has not asked the State or County for one dime. Isn't interested in making money with the team, he is worries about just breaking even.
zow2 Posted April 7, 2006 Posted April 7, 2006 Ralph is doing an awful lot of posturing. He says he doesn't want hand outs from the city/state but i don't buy it. clearly he is laying the platform for needing a new stadium & luxuries that go along with it.....or he is laying the future ground work for his family to pick up stakes and move the team after he dies.
BillsGuyInMalta Posted April 7, 2006 Posted April 7, 2006 Ralph once again stating he's not selling the club. Says the Old Guard in the NFL is gone. The NFL has changed with some addition of a few owners (Snyder, Kraft, Jones). According to Ralph, they dont have the same values about the league that the old guard did.
Pine Barrens Mafia Posted April 7, 2006 Posted April 7, 2006 or he is laying the future ground work for his family to pick up stakes and move the team after he dies. 655518[/snapback] Ding!
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